Greig Hutcheon hoping to seal Wentworth slot

MARTIN DEMPSTER

GREIG Hutcheon is realistic enough to admit he’s unlikely to win a European Tour event but this year alone showed his rare forays on to that circuit can still be profitable.

Between the BMW PGA Championship and Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, the 40-year-old Tartan Tour No 1 from Banchory earned close to £26,000.

In the former, Hutcheon shot a five-under-par 67 at Wentworth, where he is hoping to be back next May for the European Tour’s flagship event.

A top-ten finish in the £15,000 Titleist PGA Play-Offs starting today on the Sultan course at Antalya Golf Club will do the trick. The event features the leading 2013 performers from the PGA’s seven regions, with Hutcheon flying the Scottish flag along with Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf) and Chris Kelly (Cawder).

“I’ve certainly been playing quite tidily and I feel I have a good chance having finished tied third in the event last year, although I have struggled on the greens at Antalya which are quite sticky with a little bit of grain making them not easy to read,” said Hutcheon, who lifted the Play-Offs title in 2010.

“This will probably be my last action of the year, as I’ll pack my clubs away for December and January. But I’ve been putting in some practice for this and it’s great to be involved in such a big tournament. Bringing the leading players from the regions together for the play-offs is a fantastic way to end the season.”

A three-times Challenge Tour winner before turning his attention back to the domestic circuit, he added: “I think the top guys are too good for me to be able to win on Tour but I still think in these big events there is no reason why I can’t get a top ten.”